The Indianapolis journal., 1887-11-24
WASHINGTON NOT A CHEAP TOWN
How the Cost of Living Has Increased With
the Growth Of Fashion In the Capital.

How the Cost of Living Has Increased with
the Growth Of Fashion In the Capital.
Washington Special
A mighty vail goes up this year. Everything
else has gone up long ago. and hence the wall
House rent, servants wages. marketIng-all ara
on the rise. Here ,s the difference 10 q certain
establishment between now and little while
ago: The house is q small ono in q fashionable
street. 1t is. Of course, Rabled. picturesque,
and Pompeiian red. as Joaquin Miller ex-
presses it It was occupied five years ago by q
Northern family of Independents means who
liked to spend their winters here. They looked
at the artistic fire places, at the cunninely
wrought baluster of the staircase, and took it.
The rent was $50 month.
The Northern family took the house and
furnished it with the tasteful and inexpensive
furniture to be bad now. They hired a celored
cook $40 month, colored housemaid at $S,
and at $40 q month a young colored man
waiter and to drive their modest coupe. which
the livery stable people cared for The horse
and coupe we-e we'll looked after at the livery
stable for $50 a month. How happy they were.
Every winter would they spend in this paradise
of cheapness. Here It was possible to live COM
fortably for nothing, and for little more than
nothing they could live prince. But the next
winter something happened. They could not
return. Winter after winter they were kept
away, and at last five passed before they came
back. About a month ago they returned and
fonnd their old house to let. They took Ii at $50
month.
cook WAS only obtained at $15 month and
o housemaid at $I2 The handy young colored
man who would be butler and coachman in one
plenty be had for S25 month to do nothing
but wait, and others who would for the same
sum drive the coupe. The livery stable people
laughed at the idea of feeding a horse And takinq
care of a carriage for $40 month. They asked
$50. Then came the advance in beef, mutton,
poultry and vegetables. When the Northern
family got through with their arrangements
they found that their cheap winter Wash
ington would very nearly swamp them There
has not only been advance all
along the line in prices. but the scale of living
has risen rapidly. Five years ago the turuouts
in Washington were as numerous as they
now. but they looked very like the assemblage
of vehicles at country fair or those under .
horseshed OF village meeting house. Now,
carriage has to be perfect In its appointments,
from the top of the coachman's hat to the end Of
the horses banged tails. Occasionally q coach
and footman, with big cockades in theiI
hats, seen, giving ont the impression that Q
plain American citizen is officer in the Brit
ish army; still ofteper is . top-boofed coachmau
found sitting In solitary magnifcence on the
box of a big landau without the accompanying
footman. But there many splendid equip
ages in Washington and the number is fast ins
creasing.
The great numbers ofnegroes in Washington
will always Keep wages down. Although ac-
complished servants are certain OF commanding
good wages, there is such an indefinite supply of
the average negroes. ana the recruits from the
country are SO constantly pouring In, tnat the
supply will exceed the demand for a long time
to come. This keeps not only the wages buf
the quality of domestic service low In enter
tanning Washington has reached the point OF
elaboration that foretells return to the sim
plicty of good taste. It costs more than q trifie
to belong to the Metropolitan Club. The Cos
mos. which is the club OF the ecienfists. has
likewise handsome quarters, and the learned
pundits have 20 GO deep in their pockets foE
their subscription fees.
The tendency of society toward increased ex-
penature every year has one salutary check on
it. which, although it cannot stop, can Jet
tard the march of extravagance 1t is the great
body of people-hieh government officials, and
army and navy officers. and their families. and
the like-who are important factors in the so
eial world. but whose incomes very modest
Let a man live as he likes in Washington, IL he
has a certain official position, and any accom-
plishments whatever, his social status is fixed
and agreeable.